The Remarkable Donovans

TigerBlog had just arrived at Van Cortlandt Park last week for the Ivy League Heptagonal cross country championships when he saw a familiar face.

Well, he saw a lot of familiar faces. This particular one, though, was unexpected.

It belonged to Suzanne Zywicki, Princeton's Class of 1984 and a loyal track and field alum. She was a high jumper for Peter Farrell's women's track and field teams, and she was a member of six different Heps team champs.

Before any of that, though, she grew up in the house next door to TigerBlog. She was one of five sisters, the second-oldest. In order, it went Ellen, Suzanne, Carol and then identical twins Nancy and Patty. It was good to hear they were all doing well, though TB was saddened to hear that their parents, Al and Maureen, had both passed away. They were very nice, very sweet people.

TB had seen Suzanne only once in the last 40 or so years, and that was briefly at the retirement event for Farrell. When he was doing his book on the first 50 years of women's athletics at Princeton, TB did make sure to include her picture. 

At one point last Friday, TB and Suzanne took a picture together. The idea was to send it to their respective siblings to see if anyone could recognize the other person in the photo.

TB sent it to BrotherBlog, and to his childhood friend Corey as well. They both had the same response: No idea.

Suzanne sent it out and within a minute Nancy knew who it was. TB was honored. He was also surprised that neither BB nor Corey got it right.

Speaking of sisters, TigerBlog yesterday posted a feature story about the four Donovan sisters, all of whom played field hockey at Princeton. You can read it HERE.

There is a lot to the story, and TB doesn't want to give it away. He'll give you this, which is how the story begins:

The corners of Claire Donovan’s lips have started to curl upwards, and yet there are already tears in her eyes even in the nanosecond before her lips reach a fully formed smile. 

Her two emotions at that moment are wildly conflicting, and for that she apologizes, though there is no need. As she continues to talk, though, her words get a bit lost, momentarily at least, as the incongruity of smiling lips and teary eyes fully resonates. 

This is the story of the Donovan family and its remarkable connection to Princeton University, and specifically to Princeton field hockey. It is, more than anything else, a love story.  

It's also a long story, one that is told over the span of five decades, through multiple generations. It starts on the Princeton campus. It is still playing out on the Princeton campus. 

And it is on the Princeton campus, in that one fraction of a moment, on a bench next to a bus that’s about to take the Tiger field hockey team on another road trip, during a weekend when the Donovan family once again mobilizes around that fact, while her current teammates are scurrying to head out, while there is movement all around her, Claire Donovan has done something that, in a blink, could have been missed. It isn't, though, because time has stopped now, and as it does, it becomes crystal clear that this tiny moment is in reality the sum total of all of all of those decades, and as such it's so easy to realize exactly what has just happened. 

Claire Donovan has given away the ending.

The first Donovan to play field hockey at Princeton was Kaitlin, who graduated in 2010. Her sister Amy played with her on the 2009 team, when Kaitlin was a senior and Amy was a freshman. Amy would be a three-time All-Ivy pick who would win a national championship on the 2012 team.

Next came Annabeth, the 2013 Ivy Rookie of the Year and a 2014 first-team All-Ivy selection. The last is Claire, a current senior on a team that just won the Ivy League championship and who will play in the NCAA tournament next weekend, after finishing the regular season at Columbia Saturday.

TB tried to think of another family that had four siblings compete for Princeton. He came up with a bunch of threes, including the Reinprechts in field hockey. Are there fours that he's overlooking?

Even if there are, have their been four siblings whose careers have spanned as long as the Donovans? The Donovan parents, John and Katy, met at Princeton when they were both in the Class of 1986 (John was a lacrosse player). 

It's hard to imagine that this is the last season with a Donovan on the field hockey team, at least for this generation. This past Saturday was Senior Day. There were 18 people in Claire's picture. That might be a record.

Anyway, TB invites you to read the story and learn more about them. They are certainly a remarkable group. Their story is unique, emotional and incredible.